QPR boss Harry Redknapp: Sandro is lucky not to be out for a year with knee injury

Harry Redknapp says Sandro is lucky not to be out for a year with his knee injury.

The Queens Park Rangers midfielder will be sidelined until at least the New Year after damaging medial ligaments in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.

Sandro collided with team-mate Yun Suk-Young and Redknapp says the injury could have been much worse.

“It could have been a real damaging one for him and could have put him out for a year,” said the QPR manager today. “Losing him until after the Christmas period is a big blow for us. He took a bad bang on his knee. We looked the video of it and it could have been even worse.”

Sandro missed much of last season after suffering a serious knee injury while at Tottenham but Redknapp insists the 25-year-old does not have a long-standing problem.

“The bang he took on that knee, his knee must have been very strong to take that,” he said. “It is not easy for him but he will come back stronger.”

QPR host Leicester on Saturday and Rio Ferdinand returns after his three-game ban for comments he made on Twitter. Ferdinand was out of the QPR side before his suspension but Redknapp says the defender can still play a big role this season.

“Rio does not have anything to prove to anyone,” he said. “He can play a big part in the season. We will have a look at it and assess his fitness because he has not played for a few weeks now.”